Comptroller accuses IDF, Shin Bet chiefs of obstructing his October 7 probe

State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman was sharply critical of outgoing military chief Herzi Halevi and the head of the Shin Bet intelligence service Ronen Bar on Thursday for what he said were their ongoing efforts to block his investigation into the “core failure” before and during the October 7 Hamas invasion and atrocities.

In the latest episode of an ongoing argument between the State Comptroller’s Office and the security services, Englman said he could not properly conduct a review into the military’s role in the apparent failings, which enabled Hamas to invade on October 7, without the cooperation of the Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet, and called on the attorney general to order those agencies to cooperate with his investigation.

The fight between the State Comptroller and the security services has played out against the background of the government’s ongoing refusal to establish a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 catastrophe.

Englman’s comments came hours before the IDF published findings from its own investigation into the military’s failings.

But he argued that the public would not be satisfied with an investigation “which an agency conducts into itself,” and asserted that only the State Comptroller’s Office was currently able to conduct an independent review of the failings.

“Without the full cooperation of the IDF and the Shin Bet it will not be possible to carry out a full review,” he said. “The [IDF] chief of staff and the head of the Shin Bet have been blocking a review of the core of the [October 7] failure for a year and a half now.”

Englman called on Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to enforce the semi-constitutional basic law bestowing him with investigatory powers.

The Israeli public “deserves answers from an independent investigation” and not just from internal investigations, he said.

Englman has repeatedly criticized the army and the Shin Bet for failing to cooperate with his investigation. In January this year, he accused the military of “intimidating” senior officers giving testimony to his staff, which he said was part of the IDF’s efforts to stop “the truth from being disclosed.”

Critics of the government, including members of the opposition and several government watchdog groups, have expressed concern that the probe by Englman, who has no legal background and was appointed to his position under a Netanyahu-led government, could seek to minimize political responsibility for the devastating October 7 onslaught.

Englman announced in December 2023 the launch of a broad investigation into “multi-system failures,” before, during and after October 7, including examining those with “personal responsibility” for the “failures on all levels – policy, military and civilian,” but the IDF has been strongly resistant to his probe, claiming that it would divert the attention of senior commanders from prosecuting the then active wars with Hamas and Hezbollah.

In June 2024, the High Court issued an interim injunction against Englman, ordering him to suspend the aspects of his investigation involving the IDF and Shin Bet.

However, the High Court expressed frustration with the security services during a hearing on the issue in November and warned the IDF and Shin Bet that it could retract the interim order.

The IDF and the state comptroller subsequently reached an agreement four days after that hearing, whereby Englman’s office would first investigate issues of secondary importance in the October 7 disaster, such as the Home Front’s preparedness for a major assault, and the process whereby permission was given for the Supernova music festival to go ahead in Re’im, could be examined immediately.

The two sides were then supposed to agree on a mechanism to review “core issues,” such as the military’s failures in battle on October 7 by February, while taking into account the war situation at the time.

But Englman’s office is of the opinion that the IDF and the Shin Bet have continued to make difficulties for the State Comptroller’s investigation despite that agreement, apparently prompting Englman’s outburst on Thursday.

Both sides must update the High Court as to the status of the investigation by March 6, and the State Comptroller’s Office will request that the court retract its interim order, The Times of Israel understands.

The comptroller’s probe into the events of October 7 is currently the only state-sanctioned comprehensive investigation into the attack, during which some 1,200 people were massacred by terrorists from Hamas and other Palestinian terror groups in southern Israel, and 251 people taken hostage.

Critics of the government, including members of the opposition and several government watchdog groups, have expressed concern that the probe by Englman, who has no legal background and was appointed to his position under a Netanyahu-led government, could seek to minimize political responsibility for the devastating October 7 onslaught.

Englman has strongly denied this and insisted that his investigation will address all aspects of the failings with equal weight.